The present invention relates generally to an apparatus and method of protecting users of invasive instruments from inadvertent puncture of their skin. More specifically, the present invention relates to an apparatus and method for protecting users of invasive medical instruments such as scalpels or needles from being exposed to infection or disease via inadvertent needle sticks or other skin puncture.
Users of invasive instruments such as knives, needles or scalpels are constantly exposed to the dangers of puncturing or cutting their skin, specifically their hands, when working with such instruments. Such punctures can be of particular concern if the instrument has previously been exposed to a patient carrying any of a variety of dangerous chemical and biologic substances, such as HIV or Hepatitis B virus.
The prior art in the area has focused on the protection of the hands and arms with reinforced gloves and gauntlets which are impervious to the specific instrument used; for instance, protective butchers' gloves in association with butchers' knives or cleavers. See e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,916,448, 4,004,295 and 4,388,733. In addition, the prior art emphasizes protection only via the covering of the skin with an impervious covering, not via a method wherein the skin covering is specifically associated with a modified instrument as to prevent skin puncture.
The aforementioned protective methods have not addressed the problem wherein users work with very fine and delicate instruments, or require a full range of motion or sensitivity in the hands. For these users, a large, impervious glove, such as those used by butchers, would not be satisfactory.
In addition, persons working in the scientific or health care professions handle invasive instruments which are exposed to a variety of dangerous chemical and biologic substances, such as the HIV or Hepatitis B virus. Since such scientific and health care workers generally use very fine and delicate instruments, require an extended range of motion or sensitivity, or both in the hands, and are exposed to dangerous substances which can be transmitted to the worker by an extremely small wound to the skin, an effective method for protecting these users from inadvertent puncture by these invasive instruments is needed.